This is a blog about getting an abortion. I, the author, am pro-choice, a proud atheist, and am a bit of a biology nerd. This blog is for women and girls who need a chance to hear from someone about what its really like, and something I need to help me through this sort of scary experience that lots of women go through, but few talk about. I cannot claim that anyone else's experience will be like mine, but hey... at least now we can start comparing notes. Email: abortionblogger at gmail.

Finding stuff

Hey! Thanks for checking out my blog. I had my abortion in Dec 2008, so you can find most of the posts about the nitty gritty by clicking on "2008" in the blog archives, and checking out things from there.

Saturday, November 21, 2009

We can't afford to lose our insurance coverage. Fight Stupak!

When I had my abortion, it was covered by my insurance. My current insurance plan, which is different since I work somewhere else now, also covers abortion should I need it. The bureaucracy was a nightmare, but in the end everything worked out ok and it was covered.

If the Stupak Amendment is included in the health care reform bill, I will not have that coverage again. Hopefully I will never need it, but they wouldn't call them "unplanned pregnancies" if we were expecting it to happen. Countless women will lose their abortion coverage, or be prevented from purchasing a plan that covers it in the future. If you don't know much about the Stupak Amendment yet, google it and learn more about it. This is important. And what we do now will determine whether this becomes law or ends up in the trash where it belongs.

Abortion is not the kind of procedure you can save up for- it needs to be done right away. Due to the deep stigma in our society surrounding abortion, this is not the kind of thing many women would be able to ask family or friends to chip in for. This is a procedure that needs to be covered by health insurance. Anti-Choice activists are always looking for ways they can create barriers to care that limit women's access to reproductive health services they think we shouldn't have. The Stupak Amendment would be like plopping down a huge wall around the clinics where we need to go to for care- some will be able to climb it, but many more won't. The burden's of these barriers fall most heavily on those who already don't have much: women living in poverty, the uninsured, homeless women, etc. While some women can pay out of pocket for abortion, many cannot. No woman should be forced to bear a child simply because she is poor. Everyone deserves choice regardless of the amount in their bank account. Healthcare reform should fix that problem, not exacerbate it.

14 comments:

I recently had an abortion in Canada and i just realized how lucky I am. We have universal health care and abortion is covered without needing private insurance. I'm a student in Ontario but i have Alberta health care so it made things a little complicated for me. Alberta health doesn't cover the costs of private clinics so when i tried to make an appointment they said i could have gotten in the next day but would have to pay $300 cash to cover clinic costs...I was so stressed out about how unfair this system was. Now i realize how lucky I was. Spending an afternoon calling clinics and getting numbers & having to wait 3 weeks to get into a bed at a publicly funded hospital is nothing compared to what you go through south of the border. I eventually got in, without having to provide a health card to a clinic where there were no protesters and the staff treated me with so much respect. The actual procedure was done at a nearby hospital under general anesthetic (my choice) so i didn't even have to be awake. I had my own curtained off area to recover and they phoned my friend to come pick me up. I think its so unfortunate that so many women have to add to an already emotional experience by worrying about money. My heart is with all of these women & I hope one day your health system can work for the people.....

A new campaign has officially launched - one that celebrates the reproductive roots of contraception and abortion from the past 4000 years! This project responds directly to anti-choice groups, specifically 40 Days for Life, through a weekly postcard campaign to clinics. It also aims to bring inspiring images that celebrate the ancient traditions of women's reproductive health into our daily lives.

A new campaign has officially launched - one that celebrates the reproductive roots of contraception and abortion from the past 4000 years! This project responds directly to anti-choice groups, specifically 40 Days for Life, through a weekly postcard campaign to clinics. It also aims to bring inspiring images that celebrate the ancient traditions of women's reproductive health into our daily lives.

Hi,I recently had an abortion and found your blog. I didn't really have anyone to talk to about what I was going through so I found great comfort in what you had to say about your experience.I've decided to post a couple of things I wrote down and was hoping I could link to your blog?Anywho, hope you're well!-Jane

I am in the same situation - student in Ontario but have an AB health card. Could you tell me the clinic that you called? I am only a few days late, but I am almost always regular so i am getting nervous and want to know my options, if it comes to that.

First i got a urine test at my school clinic and then went to The Bay Center http://www.womenshealthmatters.ca/centres/sex/program/They'll do the initial examination and then book you into a hospital for the procedure without a health card. If you can, bring someone with you...or a book...both appointments were a long time in the waiting room.

If you have $300 you can be in and out in one day (as long as you've already been to a doctor for the urine test) I'v heard good things about the Scott clinic and Morgantellar http://www.hasslefreeclinic.org/Abortions.php

I had an abortion today. This is my FOURTH!!! I am not proud that I have an unsuccessful track record with birth control; however, I know that my boyfriend and I cannot support children. I am 26 years old and you would think that maybe I would have learned my lesson years ago. Maybe my demise was from bad advise from my GYN about which birth control method I should be using. I have never blogged before, but I feel like I want to talk to other people who have experienced this before. I am feeling guilty, like I've done something wrong. My boyfriend is having a hard time with it and maybe that's why I feel the way I do. I feel dirty, but at the same time I'm happy that we are not burdened by the pending hardship of having a child we are not financially ready for. I don't even know if at any point in my life will I have that motherly instinct to want children. I feel extremely awkward around children. I don't think I could handle the constant emotional struggle raising a child carries with you. I am super worried about my boyfriend and how he's coping.

I'm glad there are people out there who aren't psychos about being anti-abortion. Though I would personally never choose to have an abortion, I still support it because it gives us women the freedom of choice. It absolutely pisses me off that religious followers will actually argue with me that I'm wrong to support abortion! It disgusts me! And the best part of it all is that these people who are so "clean" and pure to god are the ones having abortions. Hypocrites, I say. Thanks for the blog! :)

I feel so conflicted...I am a strong believer in choice in all areas- which is why I feel conflicted about Stupak. I wouldn't want my money being used to stop abortions- so why am I making my fellow tax-payers pay for something they dont agree with.

I understand why women get an abortion- they don't really want one but feel they have no other choice- especially poor women. I had one and it was the worst thing that has ever happened to me. I just am struggling so much with all of these issues and my feelings on the matter after it happened to me...

I've had three abortions in my life. I'm 46 years old. I'm so heartened by the fact that the web - and sites like this - help women (and men) come together and talk about this vital issue. It's about time that the anti-choice movement know that in terms of numbers, they are small compared to us. In terms of commitment, even smaller!